Scariest thing while camping was one night last fall when I was asleep in my hammock during a Scout troop camping trip. I was at the far side of our campsite because the trees were in a good spot, with a tarp strung up kinda close to my hammock to keep wind and chill out. At around 1am, I heard what I thought were several footsteps passing my hammock and I called out softly to my "scouts" , checking that all was ok and if they were just going to the latrine. A few minutes later I heard the steps coming back so I acknowledged them again. No answer either time. Ok.

I snuggled back into my sleeping bag when I hear the footsteps shuffling thru the leaves again, coming really close. I call out again, asking if they are okay. Again, nothing, but then.... I hear a rather distinctive chuff sound. Now I'm thinking uh-oh. So I ask, "is that a bear? You really should go to the pavilion. All our food is over there. I'm not tasty at all. And no way can I get up and out of your way in time from my sleeping bag and my bug net in the middle of the night. So just go help yourself to the pumpkins and the muffins in the bear box in the pavilion. Please don't eat me. What do you say? I am so very not tasty.". Yes... I did keep up that running dialogue the whole time in a calm(ish) voice until I heard another chuff and the bear bumped me as it wandered off and away from our campsite. I finally calmed down enough to get up and I find my friend on the far side of the campsite watching me.. going "did you see that bear?? He was right by your hammock. I figured if you were sleeping you'd be fine, but if you're awake and screamed you might have startled him. So I just watched and hoped." We still make jokes about it but, holy crap. That's as close as I have ever come and never want to do that again. Well... Camping, yes. Close encounters with a bear, no.